Contributed by Shay Gines
I wanted to talk about something that is a little bit controversial in the OOB community - Comp Tickets. My friend Jason Bowcutt and I have had an ongoing debate about comps to Indie shows.
There are a lot of indie shows that we want to see. We don't always have the time or the money to attend all of the amazing stuff that happening in this community.
JASON'S TAKE:
It is important for us to see as much of the work as we can. If we don't have the money, it is more important to see the work than it is to pay for the ticket. So it is completely acceptable to take advantage of industry and Equity comps.
MY TAKE:
As someone who has been a producer, I know how much every dollar means. When I reviewed shows I had no problem accepting the comps because I felt I was doing a service for the production by providing publicity and critique. The same is true if I helped paint the set or helped out at the box office, etc. However, if I am just going to see the production for myself, I feel uncomfortable asking for comps. Moreover, I feel that so much work goes into getting these shows up on their feet, that they have earned my $20.
Of course there are a lot of shows that I miss because I'm short on cash.
